Pravesh Kumar MBE is a writer and director, who embarked on a journey to establish the Rifco Theatre Company in 2000. His mission was to present the narratives and lived experiences of British Asians in a manner that resonated with and captivated the community, ensuring accessibility for all. Having won hearts with works like “Britain’s Got Bhangra” (2011), “The Deranged Marriage” (2015) and “Happy Birthday Sunita” (2014), "Frankie Goes to Bollywood", the latest groundbreaking production from Rifco Theatre Company will captivate audiences starting in April 2024.
With extravagant dance routines, pulsating British Bollywood pop, and breathtaking costumes, "Frankie Goes to Bollywood" is the most ambitious production from Rifco Theatre Company to date. It is an exhilarating British Bollywood musical that delves into the life of a young British South Asian woman thrust into the dazzling realm of the world's largest film industry and takes you on Frankie's vibrant journey to stardom, revealing that not everything that glimmers is gold.
In an interview with Asian Voice, Mr Pravesh talks about his upcoming play, Bollywood and where the diaspora fits in all of this.
‘Frankie Goes to Bollywood’ seems like a fun and relaxed experience on the outside, but it actually tries to take a strong stance. What are the major themes that this play works on?
Rifco Theatre Company has not done a Bollywood themed production for many years now. Of course, much of the work has the tone and colour of popular South Asian culture, but it was high time we went back and looked at the real Bollywood story. This is a British musical and you can’t tell a Bollywood story without the troupes of the genre - songs, dance and romance! But I wanted to stretch deeper, really look at the films and what they mean to us. And what is it like to work in such an Industry. Many young British hopefuls have made it there, and even more have been used and churned out. The major themes are about love and family but also being true to yourself.
How have your experiences in Bollywood helped in cultivating the script for ‘Frankie Goes to Bollywood’?
I lived and worked in Mumbai for many years. I still have many good friends working in commercial Indian cinema and Indian cinema, making some great (and some not so great) films. I have been inside that machine called Bollywood, it looks glamorous and beautiful from the outside but can be quite different from the inside. This is the story of a young British South Asian girl, who gets caught in the bright spotlights and what she has to do to get to the top.
How and when was the idea of the play devised? What is its relevance in current times?
All my work is derived from real life. I have interviewed many actors and actresses and been to many Indian film sets, witnessing the ongoings first-hand. This musical is based on many true events but isn’t the story of anyone in particular.
As an insider, what are some stereotypical perspectives about Bollywood that you’ve found are actually true and vice-versa?
Nepotism is a huge issue in Bollywood. Actors like Kangana constantly call it out, because she has had to graft with no ‘godfather’ to watch over her. It’s a huge problem because Bollywood is not a talent-based industry, it is a family business. And like anything that starts to be inbred, it needs a blood transfusion. Just look at all the great films coming of out the South Industry, they have been making good cinema for years, and yes, they have some nepotism too but it is not anywhere near Bollywood. There is also little respect for writers in Bollywood and that is the biggest problem, no script - no good film! Everything is ‘hero’ led and some of those films work but how many of those can you keep watching? We all want a good story and acting to dig into, right?
We always talk about the challenges faced by the diaspora in the UK. Focusing on the flip side, is it equally challenging for British Asians to make a mark in an industry like Bollywood?
Having seen the industry from both sides, it is pretty much impossible unless of course you have a relative that will write, fund or produce your film. There has been a big conveyer belt of very young British Asian girls going into Bollywood and this is what disturbs me the most! Young girls with middle-aged men on screen, and no one is saying anything? How are we watching this? In a country and culture where domestic violence against women is one of the worst in the world, there are some serious questions we need to ask ourselves as an audience who watches these films.
What do you have to say about the representation of the South Asian diaspora in terms of storytelling in theatre plays?
It’s taken me years to really get Rifco Theatre Company to where it is today. It’s not been easy getting our important stories on the main stages of this country. Theatre has now really started to look at a great range of our stories but this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m so happy to see other theatre companies, writers and directors making new theatre and this is how we change the landscape. You can’t be what you can’t see. Representation matters.
I got to make my first feature film, Little English which is based on my play ’There’s Something About Simmy’ - it was released across the country to mainstream cinemas and lots of brown people went to the cinema to see themselves authentically represented. I hope we can keep making waves and keep telling important and until stories.
